How to Negotiate Pay: Why Knowing Costs Comes Before Pitching

Amber Kai, CEO of Sequential and a decade-long veteran of the creator economy, breaks down how to negotiate pay with influencers without blowing your budget or burning the relationship before it starts. Her core warning: never pitch a brand on a program before you know what creators actually cost, because usage rights alone can throw your numbers completely off.

Kai explains that creator pricing is not tied to a clean follower-to-dollar formula and changes with economic conditions, so doing rate outreach early is non-negotiable. When offers and asks are far apart, she recommends meeting in the middle as a reliable default, using the example of a 5K offer against a 10K ask. She also points out that smaller creators with hyper-specific niches or strong video engagement can justify adjusted rates even when their following is modest. Transparency upfront matters too: if you need usage rights in perpetuity, say so in the first email.

Watch to see how she handles the moments when a single sticking point threatens to kill a deal entirely.